DO YOU NEED UMBILICAL HERNIA SURGERY?
If you need quality, affordable umbilical hernia surgery, you’ve come to the right place!
Even though our hernia surgery center is located in Maryland, patients come to us from across the country to save thousands of dollars on umbilical hernia surgery. Even with the cost of airfare, our prices are often more affordable than any hernia surgery center you’ll find in your hometown! And it’s not only affordable hernia surgery, it’s excellent care.
WHAT ARE UMBILICAL HERNIAS?
An umbilical hernia is a hole in the abdominal muscles that occurs at the umbilicus (belly button). Unless these are large, they almost always contain fat from inside of the abdominal cavity. Rarely do umbilical hernias contain intestines.
WHO GETS UMBILICAL HERNIAS?
Umbilical hernias are three times as common in women. Risk factors for developing an umbilical hernia include obesity, heavy lifting, a long history of coughing or multiple pregnancies.
WHY DO UMBILICAL HERNIAS OCCUR?
The area of the umbilicus is a “weak spot” in the abdominal wall. During fetal development there is an opening in the muscles in this area which generally closes around the time of birth. If this area fails to completely close, a small opening may persist into adulthood, and this opening can be stretched into a larger opening, allowing fat (and occasionally intestines) to protrude.
WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS OF UMBILICAL HERNIAS?
Umbilical hernias usually only have one symptom – a bulge at the belly button. Most of the time, the bulge contains fat that has squeezed through the hole in the abdominal wall. Sometimes the hernia can contain intestines. When the bulge cannot be pushed back, it is called an “incarcerated” umbilical hernia. Sometimes these hernias can get as large as a baseball, and occasionally even larger.
HOW ARE UMBILICAL HERNIAS REPAIRED?
Traditionally, surgeons used sutures to sew the hole in the muscle closed. At our hernia center, we do this and also place a piece of polypropylene mesh on top of this repair to decrease the risk of the hernia recurring in the future.
For more information about umbilical hernias and to find out if you need umbilical hernia surgery, contact us today!
